This new building in Dubai will be 2,624 feet tall.
Looks like a hypodermic needle.......
I thought the Bin Laden family had secured this job. There was mucho press about this. When did Samsung replace them? I assume the lobby will have kick-ass plasma displays.
"The Sears Tower was designed by the architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the same firm that designed the John Hancock Center."
I like their buildings.
I don't care for the WTC replacement architecture. Lame, big-time, IMHO.
This building will be built with infidel technology. The jihadists may consider it a 'legitimate target'.
A word of advice for them....watch out for low flying planes. That building will make a prime target for Islamofacist.
...a target close to home for terrorists....
as long as ther is no
ww.texston.com
I'd be worried about people being able to breath unassisted at that height. I hope they put signs everywhere that say, "Please don't drop pennies out of the windows".
Taiwan currently holds tallest building title. I forget the height.
This design looks a LOT like Frank Lloyd Wright's design for MILE HIGH building for Chicago--of all places!
I thought in Islamic societies that no building was to be higher than the minarets? Is that passe now?
Samsung construction ehh
I don't think the crooked snakes can build such a structure.
Taipei 101 Tower in Taipei, Taiwan
Great Buildings
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Designers and Builders: C.Y. Lee and Partner, Architects, and Turner International Industries, Inc., project and construction management
Vital Statistics: With a massive 60-foot spire inspired by Twaiwan's native bamboo plant, Taipei 101 Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world. At 508 meters (1,667 feet) high, the tower and its spire outrank the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Taipei Tower has 198,347 m2 (2,336,000 sq. ft.) of office space, 77,033 m2 (796,000 sq. ft.) of retail space, and 83,000 m2 (893,000 sq. ft.) of parking space for more than 1,800 vehicles.
Earthquake Safety: Designing a building this large presented unique challenges because Twaiwan is subject to typhoons and earthquakes. To counter movement, a tuned mass damper system has been incorporated into the structure. The 800-metric ton (1,764,000 lbs.), spherical steel mass is located on level 88 and will be visible from the restaurant and observation decks. The system transfers the energy from the building to the swinging sphere, providing a stabilizing force.
Special Design Features: The design of Taipei 101 borrows heavily from Chinese culture. Both the building’s interior and exterior incorporate the Chinese pagoda form and the shape of bamboo flowers. The lucky number eight, which means blooming or success, is represented by the eight clearly delineated exterior sections of the building.
Observation Decks: Located on floors 89 and 91, the observation decks include the highest restaurant in Taiwan. Two high-speed elevators reach a maximum speed of 1,010 meters/minute (55 ft./second) when traveling to the 89th floor.
Is Taipei Tower the World's Tallest Building?: Yes, if you include the spire. However, organizations that compile skyscraper statistics often do not count spires, flagpoles, antennas, or decorative features. To compare the Taipei Tower with other tall buildings, see our FAQ page, What is the World's Tallest Building? More Links
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Taipei 101, whose pinnacle reached full height on Oct. 9, 2003, is currently the official world's tallest building in the categories of highest structurally, highest roof, and highest occupied floor. The Sears Tower in Chicago holds the fourth category of overall height.
The multi-use structure will house retail facilities on Levels 1-4; a fitness center on Levels 5-6; offices on Levels 7-84; restaurants on Levels 86-88; observation decks on Levels 89, 91, and 101; and communication facilities on Levels 92-100.
Some facts about Taipei 101:
* The building can be found in the Xin-Yi district of (east) Taipei. This is a relatively new part of Taipei, with a lot of newer buildings. These were built in the past few years and many others are planned to be built here in the next couple of years.
The Xin-Yi district is the new city centre of Taipei and is an area with a lot of shopping malls, cinema's and other leisurement enjoyment.
* The building will have the two fastest elevators (Toshiba) in the world. These will travel at a top speed of 1,008 metres per minute or 16,8 metres per second (just over 60 km/h). A trip up in these elevators will take 43 seconds; down will go in just over 52 seconds.
* Taipei 101 will have an indoor and an outdoor bservation deck. The indoor one will be on the 89th floor (382m), and the outdoor one will be located on the 91st floor (391m). They will be opened for the public early 2005.
* At the 87th floor an 800 ton tuned mass damper is held, stabilizing the tower against possible earthquakes, typhoons, and strong winds. The building is designed to withstand earthquakes above 7 on the Richter scale, and winds forces of more than 60 metres per second.
* Connected to the building is a 6-story shopping mall (five above and one under ground), called Taipei 101 mall. This mall was opened in November 2003. It is for the most part home to very exclusive and very expensive shops.
* Work on the tower began in 1999 and until the completion, the construction was hit by a few tragedies. Among them was a 6.8 earthquake that hit Taipei at the end of March 2002. Because of the earthquake a construction crane fell from the 56th floor, killing five people.
* The design of the building resembles a bamboo shoot rising, steadily but strong, from the ground, reaching the top one step at a time
* The whole complex is constructed on a site with a total of 30,278 square metres. The total floor area of the building is 357,721 square metres.
* The building is divided into six zones. Each zones has four double-deck elevators with a capacity of 20 persons each. In total the building has 61 elevators.
* Building costs were approximately $ 1,7 billion.
* Early plans for this tower called for a 60-story tower with a pair of 20-story blocks. Then an 88-story tower was proposed, but the architects convinced the owner to go even higher.
* The foundation of the tower goes as deep as 80 metres/262 feet.
* When the building is in use over 10,000 people will work in the tower each working day.
* Total height to the roof is 448m (1,470 feet), which makes it the tallest building in this category as well. This also means that the spire on top is over 60 metres (197 feet) tall. Total height to the highest occupied floor is 438m (1,417 feet). Here Taipei 101 is the #1 as well, although technically speaking it will not win this title until the building is in use. At the time of writing, Taipei 101 is the world tallest skyscraper in three categories: ground level to structural top (509m/1,671f), ground level to roof (448m/1,470f), and ground level to highest occupied floor (438m/1,417f)
The only record that is missing is the one measuring from ground level to pinacle (including masts and spires that are NOT part of the architectural design of the building). In this category Chicago's Sears Tower is still the tallest building in the world: 529m/1,736f. Sears Tower is 443 metres (1,454 tall) and ranks #4 behind Taipei 101 and the two Petronas Towers.
Your best friend at Taipei 101: a big steel ball
By Chiu Yu-Tzu
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Apr 30, 2004,
Page 2
If one day, while savoring a cappuccino or sipping a glass of shiraz on the 90th floor of Taipei 101, you notice that a massive metal sphere suspended from cables has started swinging back and forth, do not be disturbed: It will only mean that a minor temblor has struck Taipei or that a brisk wind is picking up outside. And the big gold ball will make you much, much safer.
The tuned mass damper -- a device that increases skyscrapers' resistance to strong winds and earthquakes -- is, at 680 tonnes, the largest damper in the world. It was designed and built by Canadian Motioneering, a company participating in a technology transfer with the National Research Council, Canada.
Canadian delegates from the center made a field trip to Taipei 101 yesterday to inspect the construction of the damper, following a construction technology workshop on Monday and Tuesday.
According to Shieh Shaw (ŽÓм), president of Evergreen Consulting Engineering, which is in charge of the tower's construction, the damper establishes a safer environment inside the tower because it eliminates about 40 percent of the shaking that can be caused by strong winds.
Members of the National Research Council, Canada, and Taiwan's National Science Council inspect the tuned mass damper on the 88th floor of Taipei 101 yesterday. PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
"In addition, it can also reduce vibrations caused by earthquakes," Shieh said.
Shieh said that the tower's earthquake-resistant features, including the damper, will prevent the 101-storey building from becoming unstable at all levels of seismic intensity.
The damper, which is a passive device that depends for its functioning solely on reacting to the laws of physics, is sphere-shaped. It is constructed of thick plates of steel and is suspended from cables like a pendulum.
The device's components were made in Canada, France and Italy -- except for the massive steel plates, which were made in Taiwan.
The damper will soon be painted gold. After the tower is opened in December, visitors to restaurants, bars and observation decks between the 88th and 92nd floors will be able to see the huge gold ball.
Ted Lipman (êt‹`‰¶), Executive Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, said that the office aims to introduce more state-of-the-art Canadian technology to Taiwan -- and that he hopes the damper will be satisfactory to its buyer.
"The building is safe with the damper in it. With the damper, people will feel more comfortable when working inside," said Russ Thomas, director of the council's Fire Risk Management Program, said after visiting the construction site.
Dampers designed by Canadian Motioneering have been used worldwide, including in skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Las Vegas, New York and Toronto.
PENDULUM-LIKE To control the tower's lateral acceleration, an 800-ton turned mass damper (above) was suspended from cables. (below left). (Photo courtesy of Motioneering Inc.)
More construction and design detials at:
CLICK HERE: http://www.construction.com/NewsCenter/Headlines/ENR/20031124g.asp
Welllllllllllll, I once saw a cool photo of the gold covered mass damper ball. But I can't find it tonight. Guess the above is the best I can do. Cheers.